Identity Crisis
by Dumb Brunette
Summary: When Chloe and Lana switch bodies, can Chloe handle being Smallville's fairy princess? Chlex.


**Title:** _Identity Crisis_

**Author**:  Dumb Brunette

**Disclaimer**: If _Smallville _was mine, there'd be some _major _changes with the show.

**Rating:** PG (for now, at least)

**Pairings**: Chlex, minor Chlark, Plana, and even a little Clana

**Summary:  **Thanks to krypto-freaks' natural obsessions with Lana Lang, Chloe wakes up one morning to find herself in Lana's body.  Being the fairy princess is a lot harder than it seems—especially when you have to put up with a bald billionaire, working for Lionel Luthor, and a certain dumb alien.  

Prologue 

The sheriff station wasn't an unfamiliar place to Chloe Sullivan.  The scuffed floor and dingy walls were familiar sights.  Cheap coffee and lemon pine-sol were familiar smells. 

She had been here many times before with tape recorder and camera in hand and an endless tirade of questions ready.  She had none of these things with her now.  She wasn't there asking questions.  She was answering them.

She was sitting at a table in a small room in the back of the station.  Across from her was Sheriff Adams.  Chloe could see why Clark disliked the female sheriff so much.  The woman didn't exactly have a "sunny disposition".  Hell, Sheriff Adams could probably even outsnark her.  

"I presume you know why you're here, Miss Sullivan."

"Yes."

"Good, then why don't you tell me everything that happened the night of Friday, July 13."

Seeing Chloe's hesitation, the frown on the Sheriff's face grew, and she leaned closer to Chloe.  

"You do realize, Miss Sullivan, that arson is a very serious charge.

 ~~~*~~~~**~~~~*~~~

Clark, Lana, and Pete were all sitting in chairs outside the room where Chloe was being questioned.  Clark was using his x-ray vision to look inside the interrogation room.  Too bad he couldn't hear what they were saying.  Heat vision, super speed, and x-ray vision were all handy things to have (of course his heat-vision was partly to blame for the mess they were in), but right now he'd do anything to have super-hearing.

Next to him, Lana was fighting back tears.  None of this was her fault.  What if the sheriff didn't believe them?  What would happen to her then?  She could imagine her parents disappointment if they had known their daughter would grow up to be a convicted felon.  Not to mention her Aunt Nell and everybody at school.  She was Lana Lang, former cheerleader and Homecoming Queen.  Things like this weren't supposed to happen to her.    

Noticing Lana's distress, Pete Ross put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and attempted to comfort her.  He whispered that everything was going to be all right, but his word sounded doubtful even to him.

Clark silently watched the couple with silent resignation.  The thought never crossed his mind to fight for Lana—to want her back.  His relationship with Lana had been falling apart even before he left her behind in his driveway as he rode off to Metropolis.  It had ended before it even started, if that made any sense.  Lana's fears were right.  Clark had been in love with the perfect image he had of her.  He had never bothered to look past the image at the real person.  He was just now getting glances at the real Lana, and was finding himself wanting to look away.  His gaze had been recently turned in the direction of the girl he'd never known as well as he thought.  The girl he'd taken for granted.  The girl who he couldn't get out of his mind.

A sudden commotion at the front of the station broke through Clark's thoughts.  He could hear several voices shouting.  Then he heard a familiar voice demanding to see Chloe.  Clark looked up and saw the man who had stolen Chloe away from him.  A man whom he'd always considered as one of his closest friends.  Lex Luthor.

~~~*~~~~**~~~~*~~~

For one of the first times in her life, Chloe Sullivan considered that telling the truth was entirely overrated.  After all, she was a journalist.  She was supposed to get to the bottom of things and expose the truth at all costs.  But since she'd moved to Smallville in the eighth grade, she had discovered most of the Smallville residents liked to shun the truth.  They turned the other way when faced with the paranormal events that happened on a regular basis.  Would anybody really believe her if she said she had spent the last few days in the body of resident fairy princess, Lana Lang?  Or that she had recently been in the employ of the devil himself, Lionel Luthor?  Or how about when she told them the fire had been started because she had seen her best friend shoot flames out of his eyes?  No chance.  They'd much rather hear that she and her friends were having a party, got drunk, and decided to have a little fun with matches.  

Chloe wondered what the others would say.  Clark was a terrible liar, and the sheriff would easily see through any flimsy story he might come up with.  Pete was a better liar than Clark, but he might be brave or stupid enough to tell the truth.  Lana, on the other hand, was an even worse liar than Clark.  She wouldn't have the guts to leave even the smallest details out.  Chloe had experienced this first-hand when Lana had told the police about Clark's dad being at the mansion when he was being investigated for attempted murder.  Plus, she was naïve enough to think that they'd actually believe her.

It was obvious to Chloe what she had to do.  Drawing up her courage, she looked the sheriff straight in the eye.  She was proud when her voice came out strong.  

"This actually all started before that night.  And it all started with Natalie."

"Natalie Springs?  The girl who's been missing for three days?"

Chloe nodded.  "Like I was saying, it all started with Natalie…"

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

A/N: This is my first story for this fandom, so please tell me what you think!  I am a rabid Chlex fan, so that's how this story's going to end up.  I'm not a big fan of Lana, but I can tolerate her with Pete.  Even though there's hardly any Pete/Lana or Lex/Chloe scenes in the show.  Of course, poor Clark won't be completely left out, but his scenes will be mostly angsty, since that's the direction they were going in the show.

Next chapter:  More about Natalie Springs (Yup, she's a krypto-freak)


End file.
